August 29, 2025 • 41 mins
Marcas Grant, Michael F. Florio and Adam Rank react to the blockbuster trade between the Cowboys and Packers for All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons. The guys also dig into which receivers should be at the top of your draft boards. They tell you the players who could be the secret weapons to your Week 1 victory, and the guys you'll want to stiff-arm to avoid defeat.
The NFL Fantasy Football podcast is a production of the NFL.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Help me Friday. Everybody, welcome to another edition of NFL
Fantasy Live Buy and Marcus Grant. That is Adam Rank.
They're in that box on your screen is Michael F.
Florio and uh Floria. I don't know if you called
yesterday's show, but but we have to have a discussion
about your your Fantasy Live Draft.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Why it's so good?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
You know what you did? You know what you did?
You know what you did? You know you did. We'll
get to it later on in the show, of course.
It's also it's College College Colors Day. I don't know,
I don't know if there's an official name, but we're
all sporting gear from our Queen's.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
College, a real thing. I thought it was something from
I thought The Square. Yeah, I thought that's a real thing.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
It's most famous for Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza going there,
Harry Spooner and the King.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Of Queen's gills there. But it is an actual school.
I attended there. I'm a knight go Nights for D two.
Very small school.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I really thought I really loved Vincent Chase.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I really it was something from Age or from Seinfeld,
because Costanz is not a real person.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I don't know if you're real as Mike, because Stans
is not a real person.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Jerry actually did go there though in real life.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
All right, all right, there is good speaking of real people.
Michael Purse Parsons is a real person and he is
really playing for the Green Bay Packers missing Parsons. That's
a fantasy team name. Sorry, Oh I like that. I
like that a lot. I was traded from the Dallas
Cowboys with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. And look,
I know we don't talk about idp's, we don't talk
about individual defensive players or anything like that, but right
(01:27):
this feels like a move that is going to have
real fantasy ramification. Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, it's one of the first things I thought of,
also after the thinking about Luca. At any event, the
thing of it is, this is a really huge benefit
for those of us in the fantasy community, especially for
those of us who have been taking chairs of CD
Lamb and Dak Prescott. Now over the last number of
shows I've been talking about my favorite stack of the
(01:51):
coming season was Cede Lamb and Dak Prescott because it's
the most attainable, very difficult to get Jamar Chase and
Joe Burrow, but Ceedee Lamb was available early in drafts,
Dak Prescott was available later on. And now when you
look at this situation in Dallas, we've seen the numbers.
The Cowboys defense is much worse without Micah Parsons, which
(02:13):
could mean the Cowboys will be in many more shootouts
this season.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
And with Ceedee Lamb.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I don't know if you want to just do the
straight comparisons like this is Jamar Chase and George Pickens
is T Higgins and so forth, and so on and
so forth. The thing of it is, while I might
not project Ceedee Lamb to go out there and have
four hundred points this season, I think it's still on
the table, off the tap. I think there's a real possibility.
And right now, if I'm sitting there with a number
(02:40):
two overall pick, I'm still going to go with Jamar Chase.
But if I have the number two overall pick, where
I've been going with guys like Jean Robinson and Justin
Jefferson this season, I might start pivoting to Ceedee Lamb
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, I don't think you're crazy at all.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I've had Ceedee Lamb as my number two wide receiver
all summer because I think the move to the slot
will help him a lot, and with Pickens being able
to play the X, we could see him go back
to the slot, maybe even more than he did two
years ago when he finished as the wide receiver one
and put up video game numbers.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
But I'm kicking myself a little bit. I would I
have a lot of CD.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
I wish I had more George Pickens because obviously they're gonna.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Have to air the ball out a bunch and everything.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
He is great, but I had been thinking he might
not put up like the T. Higgins Deavonta Smith kind
of number two numbers. But now I think that is
very much so on the table for him, and he's
someone that I'm gonna be bumping up this weekend and
probably targeting in some of my drafts.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
I was glad to get Ceedee Lamb at five in
our Fantasy Live draft. I feel even better about it
after what's happened in the last few But.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Jean was on the show and was so charming. I
couldn't help understand. We had a little all you know,
cal State Fullerton, Texas rivalry because baseball basically two thousand
and four baseball. Aggi garrita, Augi Gurrito. It's the Yuga
Garrito series for sure, Voyo's finest. We were talking about
wide receivers, as they were telling me in my ear
we should probab move on. So far this week we've
(04:02):
been running down the top sixteen players by a VP
at various positions. We've done quarterback, we've done running backs,
so fitting that we do wide receivers now. So we'll start,
of course, as we always do, at number one. We'll
put a minute on the clock, and we'll talk these
guys up right now. Jamar Chase is the wide receiver
one on NFL dot Com. I know we've talked up
(04:23):
CD LAMB quite a bit, but uh ranking it's still
eight in ten of my seconds. Oh sorry sitting there
setting this up. This is supposed to talking about, Oh Jays.
This isn't supposed to be you setting it up in
a long winded way. And when when I'm supposed to
be talking about Joe much, he's still my number one guy.
Hit me up tomorrow afternoon when I'm drafting my league
of record and see if I fit. Oh, I don't
(04:44):
have the number one pick. Thanks guys.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Yeah, I've had the number one pick a couple of times.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It's unquestionably like do I have to explain it?
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Triple Crown winner, fourth most Fantasy points ever, buy a
wide receiver, and the difference between if you're splitting hairs
between like him and CD Lamb. Now, I I just
think Joe Burrow is a little bit better than Dak Prescott.
I think a lot of people would agree with that.
Joe Burrow's elite. They have that elite chemistry. So yeah,
to me, it's a no brainer. At the first overall
pick Jamar Chase.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
You want to fail these three seconds, you know, I
want to use a second to say that the thing that.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Makes I almost had it. Oh well, but.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I was gonna say Doug. But Dak Prescott is probably
going to fall down draft boards.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Still.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
That's the one thing that That's what I was saying earlier.
It's like it's a little bit more attainable because people
will fire in on Joe Burrow. So if you want
to have that stack of Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase,
you probably have to take Joe Burrow in the second
or third round.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Yeah, that's probably the case. Number two wide receiver. It
is the aforementioned cee, thee Lamb. I guess we could
put a minute on the clock here, it says I'm starting.
I can just do a long, bigger gamble about takes
the whole thing. I'll just take the whole sixty seconds.
I ever, look, I don't have a problem here with
him at number two. I think you can make a
strong case now, as we talked earlier at the top
of the show about him being the wide receiver one overall,
(05:56):
that the Cowboys and Bengals may sort of mirror each
other in being two teams that might have to score
forty points a week in order to be competitive and
get wins because their defense is going to give up
a lot of points. This is lam who's been a
target monster average one hundred and forty four targets per
season in his career. He's going to continue to be great.
But yeah, I mean, if you take him at number one,
(06:17):
I don't know that you have a strong argument against you.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah, no, no, no roadblocks for me.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I would fully endorse it.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
But but like you were talking about, you got him
at what number five? You I'm sitting at number eight.
In my lega record. It was Patrick and Michael who
drafted my draft order, so.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Thanks for the I was hopeful.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
That Ceedee Lamb possibly, There's no chance, not now, not anymore.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
So we got the first two receivers off the board.
That gets us to number three, who is justin Jefferson
and Florida. I mean, you can't really argue with JJ
at three, can you? No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
I mean these are my rankings, so I can't really
argue them at all. But look, Jefferson is shown to
be quarterback.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
He's very durable.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Only one year has he not played the full season
Top ten and fantasy points per game every year, top
five every year.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
But his rookie year.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
The only thing and the reason I had Ceedee Lamb
ahead of him even before the Micah Parsons trade is
just I trust Dak Prescott a whole.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Like I'm not saying JJ.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
McCarthy can't break out, but we know what Dak is already,
we're projecting what JJ could be.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
So that was the difference maker for me.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
So I will follow that up slash counter that by saying.
In twenty twenty three, Nick Mullins played parts or all
of the final five games of the season. In that stretch,
Justin Jefferson was fourth and wide receiver scoring, he was
fifth in points per game. Then obviously last year, sam
Donold comes in, has a career year, and Jefferson continues
to eat. At this point, I'm done, even slightly doubting
(07:47):
Justin Jefferson. I think Kevin O'Connell's gonna get this offense going.
He's gonna put j McCarthy in a position. So I'm
bubble with JJ.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
At three, the buzzers it just sounds so harsh. Hey,
I think Kevin O'Connell's gonna do it.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
That buzzer him mean, at least the Oscars played quiet
violin you Hey, yeah, play us off. Number four is
Malik Neighbors. I know that's a guy that Florio has
loved last year and this year. How do you feel
like about him?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
You know, it's interesting because I've been going back and
forth between him and Brian Thomas Junior as my wide
receiver for and I really do believe that you can
make a case for either guys. But as I always
like to say, when you're on the clock, you don't
get the luxury of being like one of them's fine.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You gotta make a decision. I'm gonna go with my
Leak Neighbors right now.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I really do believe that this is a breakout season
for him, and he's.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
One of those guys too.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
That the best part about this is while we're waiting
for Jackson Dart to take over, he's got a pretty
capable of quarterback and Russell Wilson, so I think he's
gonna be just fine.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, that's the whole huge quarterback upgrades across the board.
I don't think people realize the Lak Neighbors average more
Fantasy points per game as a rookie than Jamar Chase
and Justin Jefferson, and look at the quarterback room he
did it with. I think he is as talented as
those guys in Ceedee Lamb. I think he enters that
it'll be a big four by year's end and Melak
(09:02):
Neighbors it might sound spicy.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Now, he is my pick to be offensive player of
the Year and to leave the league in receiving yards.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I think if touchdown variants goes his way, he will
be your wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Whatever the Giants I got buzzed, he got buzzed. Whatever
the Giants throw it in not my league, neighbors. I
wonder why they didn't throw it to What you do
before the show is your own business. I get to
sue number five on our list, which is A J. Brown,
and I think people are starting to sort of wake
up because it felt for a long time this offseason
(09:33):
as though AJ Brown was sort of being undervalued. I mean,
you can find him in the middle sometimes late second round.
This is one of the most efficient receivers we have
in this league and had his highest catch rate of
his career last season. His seventeen game pace, had he
not been injured at times, would have put him over
fourteen hundred yards for the third straight year. You know, look,
(09:53):
he's got a longer track record of success than Brian
Thomas junior. He's got a more certain quarterback situation than
Drake London. I just think we need to pull him
up the draft the EIGHTYP spots a little bit.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I believe that the ADP is indicative or reflective of
last season where he started off like a house of
fire and then be at injuries or whatever. He falls
a little bit. He wasn't the same receiver at the
end of the season that he was at the first,
and that kind of stuff sticks with fantasy enthusiasts. They
remember things like that, So I believe that's what's hurting it.
But it really shouldn't because as you said, he's a
(10:25):
prolific wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Got it in. We got it in under the buzzer.
So I gets us to number six. Who is Puka
Nakua and Florio? How we feeling about pok at six?
I love him.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
I originally was ready to put him in the top
like two or three. Then they signed DeVante Adams and
I had him at five, and then the old I
love AJ.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Brown as you guys saw there.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
So the only reason I flipped him in AJ Brown
and put Puka at six is because of Stafford's back injury,
and that worries me a bit because if he goes down,
I think Puka will still be very productive, but I'm
not sure he'll be in top five wide receiver. But
he was wide receiver three last year in points per
game and led to all receivers and fantasy points per
route ran.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Like he's an awesome talent. Go get him in the
first or second round.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
In Pukah's first two seasons, when he's been healthy and
on the field, he has had a more than twenty
five percent share of the targets in the offense. So
regardless of who the quarterback is, whether it's Matthew Stafford
or if the doctor says he needs to back the
out of me and we get Jimmy g I do
think he's gonna get plenty of opportunities. So I'm fine
with him somewhere in that kind of six to nine range.
(11:30):
If you want to sort of squabble and quibble and
kind of move some guys around, you know, I'm willing
to hear you out. But I still think Pukah's very
much a wide receiver. All right, So we are on
to number seven, where it is the sun God usc finest.
I'm on Ross Saint Brown, and all right, how are
we about ours Booth.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
He's a great player, and I think he's a tremendous person.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
But listen to you.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I don't understand how people are so dismissive of what
happened the upheaval in Detroit, losing the entirety, like almost
the entirety of the offensive staff, still having Jared Goff.
There's a lot of things to me that when you
look at a Monro Saint Brown raise red flag. So
while I like Jamior Gibbs and David Montgomery and I
feel like that's gonna be fine, there's also been turnover
(12:15):
in the offensive line.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I'm sort of out on a on a Sun God.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Yeah, I don't find myself drafting him a bunch because
I'll take like AJ Brown over him, which is something
that is almost routinely available. But I do while I
question if a Monra can do what he's done the
last couple of years, I still do think he's really
rock solid, like he's going to give you a very
state floor. He's still going to be the top target
on a Lion's offense that.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
I believe will be very good.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
James and Williams might step up and take some. But
if you want like a set it and forget it
state floor, it's a Monra.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
I got it in before the buzzer was off, the
ball was off the.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Fingers actually, var.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
I do want to point out too that this is
based on ADP. This is not like don't don't be
the dj marn't stop it like based on ADP, which
that's why I'm not taking a mon Ron say bro
nothing against him as a player, He's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I would enjoy him being on my favorite This is
not about the Lions Bears thing or not at all.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Okay, listen, I do you not hear me talking about
David Montgomery.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
They're talking about now that he's my family. They're telling
me that I got to talk about Nico Collins right now.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I have to talk a lot about the Houston Texans
wide receiver room because it's kind of Nico Collins and
sort of everybody else right now, Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins
kind of battling for that number two target. But Collins
over the last two years is average near the eight
targets per game. He's also had incredible touchdown upside fifteen
total tds in his last two seasons. So I don't
(13:42):
know what's going to happen behind him in terms of
the pecking order, but Nico's gonna be just fun, you know.
It's so interesting.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
This is an instance where I would rather have Nico
Collins over a Monro Saint Brown.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
That would be. That's where my head is at. And
I've been talking.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
About Nico a lot this offseason and people will come
back and be like, well, he gets hurt or whatever.
I'm like, you know what, everybody in the NFL getshurted.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
That's you.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
You cannot live your life that way. Like every you
can make a case against anybody. I think Nico Collins
is an exceptional player. And I know last season c J.
Stroud wasn't the fantasy person that we thought he would be.
He was, he wasn't, he was not He wasn't what
I think. I think this year he'll be fine. Apparently
(14:24):
hearely friends in family of CJ. Stretter on the buzzer here.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I know his uncle. Oh.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
I want to know how he ended up in Utah
or no, how he ended up Ohio State.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
He was supposed to go to Utah, but he showed
up at the Elite eleven. We got some questions that
we know you know the answers to, but it's cold
asking for a frind for a reason. Do you pass
on Garrett Wilson for Teto McMillan, I know you liked that.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Wow, I really I really like I really like Tech,
but I really do like the situation with the Jets.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I think their offensive line is better.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
I think uh Breist Hall and I think all those
pieces are going to be better because they have the
same offensive system that was being run in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
They've talked about this.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
If you like Amon Ra Saint Brown, you should like
Garrett Wilson.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
All Right, moving on to the next one, this one Florida.
You can take this one. I think I know where
you're gonna go, though, Caleb Williams or Justin Fields.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Justin Fields for everything that Ranks said, like, they're the
Jets because of their oc coming from Detroit. They're gonna
have a very outside heavy run scheme, which Justin Fields thrives.
And I expect a lot more short, quick layup passes.
So I think Justin Fields puts up career numbers as
a runner and as a passer this year and top
five fantasy quarterback for me.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Yeah, Tanner Angstrom is the offensive coordinator who could end
up being a hot name in the hiring cycle at
some point. I'm just now saying word salad because I'm
not getting I listen. I was in the Caleb Caleb
Justin Field wars on Chicago.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
I'm not getting back into that again. So you've gone
through the first round, You've made your first pick, You're
feeling pretty good about it, but The problem is Round
two is coming and now you have to make some
more decisions because the draft is more than one round long.
So we've got some guys in rounds two, three, and
four that we like targeting in all our respective drafts. So, Florio,
who is somebody that you might like? Actually, we'll start
(16:12):
with rank because that's what the rundown says, who do
you like? In round two?
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'm gonna go with Bucky Irving. And this was a
something that was interesting in my earlier drafts is I
kept trying to sneak Bucky Irving into the third round
and everybody's like, yeah, not so fast. We're not going
to allow that, which is surprising me because last year
the collective Internet was against me when I said to
pick up Bucky Irving.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
They're like, no, you're an idiot, like they usually do.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
It's like the kids on Reddit yesterday and which was hilarious.
But I really do like I think he has an
opportunity to be even better this season. So you are
not going to be able to sleep on Bucky Irving.
You're gonna have to get him in the second round,
which is where I'm picking him.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
I love Bucky, but My favorite is AJ Brown. We
were talking him up last segment. I have him ranked
as my fifth ranked wide receiver. I think he should
be a first round pick, yet you could get him
in the middle sometimes even the late second round. I
took him in the first round in our Fantasy Live draft.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
And the reason I'm so.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
High on him the Eagles last year were one of
the run heaviest offense in years, but he was still
on a full season pace for fourteen hundred yards and
nine touchdowns, which is an average AJ Brown season in Philadelphia,
so the targets could funnel through him.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
He is a top five talent.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
In this league, and I'm totally fine getting an injury
discount on him in round two because he should be
going in round one.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
I will gladly take Drake London where I can in
round two. And he's been a target hog pretty much
since he got to the league average one hundred and
twenty eight targets per season so far in his career,
but last year it turned into production one hundred catches,
almost thirteen hundred yards, nine touchdowns. I'm not gonna sit
here and say, well, quarterback play is gonna be better
(17:53):
in Atlantic because We've done that the last few years
and it hasn't quite worked out. I don't need Michael
PINNICKX to be great. I just need him to be
a step up from what they've had in that I
think takes Drake London to an even higher level this year.
All right, So that moves us on to round three
of our drafts. Rak, where do you like to go
in this round?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
You know what, I've been finding more and more that
I just cannot pass up Trey McBride in the third round,
especially based on the way that the rosters are being constructed.
If I've got an elite running back and e league
wide receiver that I feel really good pivoting to Trey McBride.
Last season was the tight end too close to two
hundred and fifty Fantasy points, and he was doing it
without the benefit of a lot of touchdowns. Now we
(18:31):
expect the progression to get him closer to five to six,
maybe even double digit touchdowns this season. When that happens,
we have an opportunity to have one of those seasons
like Travis Kelsey had in the past.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Where he was flirting with three seventy.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
So for me, I think that Trey McBride in the
third round is going to be an epic value.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I do love that as well.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Ranked but when we get this late into draft seasons,
so close to the season, you've got to be willing
to pull.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Your guys up a bit.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
And that's what I'm willing to do Withry McLaurin, who
typically goes in the fourth round, but I'm okay taking
him in round three because last season he had a
career high in fantasy points and fantasy points per game.
And I know everyone thinks touchdown regression is going to hit,
but the Commanders are likely to throw the ball a
lot more. And if you're giving Terry McLaurin, who second
in the NFL in points per target.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Even more volume, I think he's gonna be great.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
So he's got a top quarterback, he's got a good
offense around him. I love Sterry Terry, and I'm willing
to pull him up the board a little bit to
get him.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I'm gonna need our friend and research with Lakwan Jones
to put on his ear muffs because I like Kyen
Williams in round three. Lakwan's like the only Rams fan
that wants to just punt Kyron and put in like
Blake Forum or Jarquiz Hunter. Look, he had an eighty
one percent snapshare last year that was tops among running backs.
And Sean McVay has shown us repeatedly that he is
(19:49):
pretty much a one running back guy. In six of
his eight seasons as head coach, he's had at least
one back get two hundred cherries plus huge touchdown upside
For kyroen Will, He's had twenty six rushing tds in
his last two seasons, fifty two goal to go carries
in the last two seasons. I think he's a huge
value in the third round. So we get onto round
(20:11):
four and speaking of running back values, you got one there,
I'm gonna I'm gonna go with Breesce Hall. Again.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
This is one of the fun things about doing the
early drafts, is I I over or I under estimated
how many people loved Bucky Irving, and I overestimated the people.
I thought that the same adoration would be there for
Breese Hall. But no, everybody's out on the Jets for
historical reasons. Yet's historical reasons, which is fine. But again,
(20:37):
like if you're excited about what Ben Johnson is doing
in Chicago. You should be equally as encouraged by what's
gonna go on with the New York Jets this season.
I really do believe that Breese Hall is gonna benefit there.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
I like Breese, even though he is falling a bit.
The exact opposite is for my guy who I've spoke
up more than anyone this summer, and that is Treveon Henderson.
I'm willing to take him as early as the two
three turn, but ADP has him in the fourth round,
so you can wait a little bit.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
He is very.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Like I would take him at the two three turn.
I already have I would have taken at the one
two turn, but the two.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Three agree to do the other day.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Well, yeah, but Chase Brown was on the board, and
I have Chase Brown ranked high, but Travion on almost
every other team.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
I love Traon and I've been here all summer.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
We will definitely litigate this later on in the show.
This is not this is not the last time we're
gonna speak on this. I am certain who am I
talking about. Oh, I'm talking about James Connor. I got
so derailed by this other conversation. I've perpetually been a
James Connor guy, and I feel like he's sort of
falling into that area that was reserved for well, I
guess for Drank still a guy like David Montgomery, right,
(21:46):
that guy who's just kind of undervalued, underappreciated. When you
when you draft James Connor, everybody leads and be like,
all right, that's a pretty good pick. But nobody's also like,
oh I missed out on James Connor, Like there seems
to be some some sort of disconnect there. But I
will take him there all day and get that RB
one type production from him. Those are our two, three
and four round draft picks. We are going back to
(22:08):
wide receivers nine through sixteen coming up figure out where
we want some of these guys to slot as we
come back from the break. So we went through wide
receivers one through eight earlier in the show. We're going
to keep it going with nine through sixteen, and at
number nine it is Drake London. Rake, I said, I
don't mind taking him in the second round. Is wide
(22:31):
receiver nine a good spot for him? Now?
Speaker 3 (22:32):
It's a great spot. I think that would be a
pretty good value. One of the things that we'd love
to do is fantasy enthusiasts is take the smallest of
sample sizes and use it as justification for.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Why we want to do things.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
In last year, when Drake London was playing with Michael Pennix,
despite it being just three games, You're like, that's enough
for me. This is going to be an excellent opportunity.
But I do believe that the Falcons, especially here with
their defense being one it is, there'll be a lot
of opportunities for Jake London this season.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Yeah, I agree, And on that small sample size, twenty
three fantasy points per game with Michael Pennick junior and
targeted on forty one percent of his routes, Like, we
know he's gonna lock in, he's gonna air the ball out.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
We saw that in college.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
The reason I have him at nine too and not
a little bit higher is because we don't know if
Michael Pennick Junior is going to be like really good
in the NFL or what.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
But we know like Nico Collins, qb is and and the.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
Other guys that I have ahead of him. But I
do like Drake.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
London a lot, and I have him inside.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
My time, So we're in agreement on Drake London. Since
we're speaking of small sample size theater, Brian Thomas Junior
is at number ten rank. You might not like me
for this. I have concerns, Oh jeez, well, because last
year when he really started to take off, it was
also at a point where Christian Kirk and Evan Ingram
went on injured reserve. I mean, you have that little
(23:52):
quirk of fate that somehow he was more productive with
Mac Jones than Trevor Lawrence. I don't really know what
to make of that part, but I just sort of
worry about what it's gonna be like when he's got
more target competition this year. And I think the Travis
Hunter factor can't be undersold. I think he's gonna get
a lot of opportunities. So I think ten actually is
about right. Ten or eleven. I think it's okay. I
just felt like earlier people were way higher on DTJ.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
You know, you put out this shiny object like Travis Hunter,
and then everybody is going to overreact.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
And that's fine.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
And again, these are the lessons you should be taking
from these pre draft proceedings, is that people will downgrade
Brian Thomas Junior, So use it to your advantage. Take
Nico Collins, or take Nico Collins or Malik Neighbors first,
because Brian Thomas Junior.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Might fall to you.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
But if you feel that guys like t Higgins and
George Pickens and even Adam Feelin going to Minnesota benefit
the alpha dogs in that offense, you should also feel
the Travis Hunter is going to make Brian Thomas Junior
even better.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
But what if Travis Hunter's the alpha going down that
that moving on to number A. You know, in the
NFL Fantasy Football podcast the other day, Florio Lawan Jones
had a hot take and his hot take was just
Lad McConkie.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Yeah, we have been fighting wars on that show all
summer over Ladi McConkie, And I'm fully a ladd stand.
I loved him as a prospect and as a rookie,
and he tied for twelve in total points as a
rookie despite a slow start with Herbert being banged up,
nineteen fantasy points per game from week eleven on, and
he was fifth in fantasy points per target. I think
he is an elite talent. The world just doesn't know
(25:29):
it yet, but come seasons end, everyone will know it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And he will be a universal wide receiver one.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
You know who does know he's an elite talent, Lebron James.
He got the Lebron James Seal of Approval on social
media the other day. For what it's worth as a
wide receiver to keep an eye out on. Lebron thinks
he's gonna have a huge year. I agree. Yeah, the
wide receiver room is definitely deeper this year. They added
or they regained Keenan Allen, They drafted Trey Harris. I
(25:54):
know KeAndre Lambert Smith's the guy that people sort of
love straight, but Lad mcconki's kind of the movable p
He can move anywhere. They can play matchups with him.
I think he continues to be a target monster in
this Charger offense. We move on to number twelve, Scary Terry,
who finally made up with the Commanders got paid so
rake how we feeling about him? No, really positive about
(26:15):
Terry McLaurin.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
And the timing of the deal is perfect too, because
a lot of times he didn't want that to extend
closer to the season into the season either. But the
good thing is is now he's had two weeks to
go out there and work out and rejoin his team
be ready to go. A lot of times when you
have a holdout, you're worried about those soft, soft tissue injuries.
(26:37):
That shouldn't be a problem with Terry McLaurin now that
he's been able to practice for a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah, I think the big difference that Flooryo kind of
touched on this earlier with Terry McLaurin last year versus
every other year of his career, the touchdowns were a
lot more, a lot more plentiful last season thirteen in
twenty twenty four, he had twenty five combined in his
first five years in the NFL. I still think that
touchdown upside is there. Maybe comes down a little bit
with Deebo Samuel there, maybe the Commanders do some more
(27:04):
things around the goal line with Debo, But still Terry
McLaurin as a low end wide receiver one feels pretty good.
That gets us to wide receiver thirteen and Michael f
Florio deaf taxes and Mike Evans getting a thousand yards, right.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Yeah, And consistency matters in fantasy football, right, And Mike
Evans isn't just consistent season to season he's consistent week
to week. Yeah, he might have a down game here there,
but he's gonna get you a thousand yards.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
He is a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
Machine and last season top four wide receiver in Fantasy
points per route and target. And look, someone's got to
catch the ball, right God wins out. McMillan's out out
and is banged up. So there's two guys left and
Evans is the alpha there. I like him both, but
I really like Mike Evans as a wide receiver too.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
But what if Amika Buka is the alpha dog?
Speaker 3 (27:52):
If it comes in, is that he's the Sholle Hao
Tani somehow football for whatever reason. The one thing that
really stands out to me about Mike Evans is something
that goes back to his days in college station, is
that he is just an incredible red zone and end
zone target. He had eighteen end zone targets in twenty
(28:12):
twenty four that was tied for the second most in
the NFL, and I don't anticipate that number falling.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Travis Foner is to Shador Sanders with Mike Evans is
to Johnny Manziel. Just putting that out there. Wide receiver fourteen.
DJ Moore somehow we're gonna talk about DJ Moore and
Adam Rank hasn't been invited to join. I'm excited. I'm
excited about the Bears offense, and I know there were
times during the preseason that it looks sort of rough.
I get it, there are growing there was one play
(28:39):
that was bad. I mean, look, Ben Johnson was not
happy with everything. I get it, But have you seen
Ben Johnson. I'm still optimistic about this group. You know,
I love every part about it. What I'm really curious
about you all these reports that they're moving DJ Moore around,
even lining him up in the backfield occasionally. I just
want to see how this turns out. But I do
like the fact that they're going to try and use
these pieces to the best of their ability.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
And that exact point, Marcus is being spun as a
bad thing on like Fantasy Twitter and stuff, and I
don't get it. We've all seen Ben Johnson be really
creative with his offensive weapons, and the more touches he
could create for DJ Moore, the better in my opinion.
And we know more as a top talent in this league.
He was a top ten Fantasy wide receiver just two
years ago, so with Johnson and the Bears improved line
(29:22):
and using DJ Moore creative as possible. I think he
could get back to that hype this season.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
More number fourteen. We move on to number fifteen with
T Higgins, who rank I guess he's the George Pickens
of the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
Yeah, I know, if we're doing those lazy comps, which
I'm prown to do, I'm lazy. Fine, it's fair enough,
but I do believe that T. Higgins is gonna be
even better. And he does a lot of the He
does a lot of the dirty work for the Cincinnati Bengals.
And once again, the reason why we love a lot
of the Cincinnati Bengals players is obviously they're they're great players.
(29:56):
That defense did not get any better, they did not
improve it. They did not the offseason and say let's
go solve this. Nope, it's as bad as usual, which
means a lot of points for us, which is great.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Yeah, completely agree there. I will say I think I'm
a little lower on T.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
Higgins, and consensus is ADP is a little bit higher
than fifteen. And the only reason I did that is
because the other fourteen ahead of them are alpha wide
receiver ones in their offense, so I feel a little
bit more comfortable about the volume going their way. T Higgins,
we know he's great. The Bengals are gonna have to
throw a bunch. He's my first wide receiver two that
I rank, but a lot of touchdowns last year. Never
(30:33):
played seventeen games. That's why I have him fifteen.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Would be a wide receiver one on a whole lot
of teams. He just happens to line up opposite of
Jamar Chase. There I guess this number sixteen, Jackson Smith
and Jigba And I'll say this, for a good part
of the offseason, I was sort of worried, worried but
concern trying to figure out how this is gonna work
with Cooper Cup now in Seattle, Noy that Cup was
primarily going to be the slot guy, which is where
(30:58):
Jason made his hey life last year. But my fears
have been calmed because it seems like every report out
of Seattle is that no matter where he lines up,
he's finding ways to win. That he is a legit
threat in any slot, any position on the field along
the line of scrimmage. So feeling better about JS in
I think they're gonna find ways to get him the
ball a lot.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I'm not gonna lie. I was a little nervous the
way you started that. I thought I thought the besmirchmant
of Sam Donald was gonna arise, and I was not gonna.
I was not gonna sit here for it. He's not
gonna be smirched. Sam Donald wearing at us the time,
he's he's a triton. He's he's more Triton than Trojan for.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Me, but my than man. Now's he's more machine than man.
That's true.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
But I really, I again, I have a lot of expectations,
high expectations for the and a big reason why is
Clint Kubiak, because it's one of the things when they
talk about Sam Darnald like while he doesn't have koc
or like Clint Kubiak is good too.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Yeah, he'll he'll be fine. Yeah, h you know, we
can commiserate it about it on in San Clemente's.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
So that's such an iconic photo. You've throw that up
on the Twitter and people are like, I know exactly
where that is.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Ask some more of your social media questions, this one
for you rank should I roll out Hunter or cuff
as my flex. This feels like trolling, though, is it? Hunter?
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Henry, I'm gonna go with Travis Hunter. Oh well, I
would take Travis Hunter. I said nothing bad about Travis Hunter.
I feel like he's a good player, but he's gonna
be asked to play offense and defense. I think the
majority of the targets are still going to go to
Brian Thomas Junior, but I would start him over cut.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Okay, I'm moving on to the next one. This one
for you Florio for game one, Golden Matthew Golden or
Romo Dunzay.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Romo Duonsay.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
I'm gonna be talking him up next segment, but I
think that he's gonna be a big target for that
Bears offense since their primary ex guy who will also
play in the slot, and I like the.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Match up a lot. One last one, how high is
too high to draft Jalen Cocher. I know there's a
lot of excitement about Jalen Coker. I still don't know
that i'd make the move before like the ninth round.
I'm excited about Bryce Young. I think we see the
Panthers offense take a step forward, But you know, I
(33:11):
still would sort of tamp down expectations before we go
all in on the pammage. Time to do some heroes
and villains, the guys that in Week one can maybe
lead you to victory or have you looking your wounds
and possibly overreacting to the rest of the season. So Florio,
let's start on the good foot. Who is one of
(33:31):
your Week one heroes?
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I said I was gonna talk more about him. It's
throm with Jonsday. I liked that last season he was
the Bears top target in the end zone, and if
preseason is in the indication, I expect that to continue
again this year. And I love that Ben Johnson was
moving him around the field in preseason, putting him in the.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Slot a bit out wide.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I think with Johnson there and the Bears improved the line,
we're gonna see the real Roam and the real.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Caleb this year.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
And the Vikings hey second most fantasy points and yards
allowed to receivers last.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Season, so that could be a good matchup as well.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
So I'm going with a guy who can be a
Week one hero. I also think he has the ability
to stretch out over the course of the season and
be a fantasy hero and that's Zach Sharbona, who very
I wanna say quietly because if you're reading the reports
out of Seattle, then the drums are banging loudly that
Zach Sharbona is going to push Kenneth Walker for that
RB one gig there. Walker's been banged up during the preseason.
(34:24):
He's had injury troubles throughout his career, so I can
see Zach Scharbona getting a lot of opportunity catching the
ball out of the backfield and maybe even getting some
gold line work as well. Of the Niner defense trying
to improve from last year. But no guarantees that Robert
Salagets had turned around right away in week one. So
those are our heroes, but forever up there is a down.
You can't have dark without light and light without dark.
(34:46):
So who is your fantasy villain for Week one?
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Jared Goff and I have him on a number of teams.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Myself, I will be sitting him in Week one because Goff,
in his last four games in lambeau Field, has averaged
two hundred and six passing yards per game with just
four touchdown and two interceptions. It is his first game
with the new offensive coordinator, so we might see a
little bit of growing pains there. Packers already had a
tough defense, they allowed the six views fantasy points per
(35:11):
game to quarterbacks, and they just got some guy you
might have heard of, Micah.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Parsons, who's now going to be chasing down Jared Goff.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
I want to avoid this situation if I can, so,
I would sit golf.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
If you have another option that you feel.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Comfortable with, well, I'm gonna go to the other side
of that game and tell you that the Packers wide
receivers do not want. If you can sit here and
tell me who is going to be the target leader,
I'm going to call you a liar to your face
because you're not going to know that. Matt Lafleur last
year famously said that it makes him nauseous even trying
to talk about the idea of the Packers having a
number one wide receiver. Sure, Christian Watson is out, but
(35:45):
Matthew Golden is in. He's still got plenty of guys
to throw the football too, and because of the defense,
could be a run heavy game script late in that one.
So maybe it's more about Josh Jacobs than any of
the pass catchers there In the Green and coming up,
we're gonna talk about round five through seven of your draft. Hey,
(36:06):
there's that gut that Travis Hunter guy again. Where do
we slot him stick around? We have the answer when
we return looking at some guys who are going in
round five through seven. Some notable names, a lot of Chiefs,
(36:27):
a lot of Lions. Here one name not on your screen.
It is going in this range as well, Rashi Rice,
who we know is going to miss the first six
games of the season because of a suspension. But let's
go through with some guys that we like in round
five through seven. I will take round five, and that
is a place that I have consistently been drafting. There Swift,
I mentioned earlier in this show. But I'm excited. I'm
(36:49):
optimistic about this Bears offense. And I look at last year.
I know Ben Johnson wasn't there, but still we saw
dere Swift what he can do when he gets heavily utilized.
Career high thirteen one hundred and forty five scrimmage yards.
He's had thirty nine or more receptions every year of
his career, and like you know, we keep doing the
lazy comparisons, right, So he's the Junior. I feel like
(37:09):
that shot at me. But yes, no, look I've done it.
I've done it. He plays for Premier Gibbs.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
There it is in this game right here against the Commanders.
Obviously it was lost in everything that happened at the
end of that game, but DeAndre Swift pretty much put
the Bears ahead because of that.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
Sorry, no, right, yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
I love DeAndre Swift and Marcus. I know one that
you love in round six, Travis Hunter. I fully expect
Travis Hunter to be a full time offensive player. Why
because the Jackson said so, since they drafted him and
then used him as such in the preseason. And I
think he is an elite talent at the wide receiver position.
And when Courtland Sutton or Sauce Gardner, where the other
(37:46):
top corners are lining up opposite of BTJ, Travis Hunter
is gonna have number two corners and slot corners and
he is going to eat them up. He is my
offensive and defensive rookie of the year. And I said
it on the podcast. I think this time next year
he's a top two round pick.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Very nice. They're nice. So then round seven that's false
to use you know.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
I'll let you jump in on this one too, because
I know you're a huge fan of Ricky Piersoll from
a fantasy perspective, and again going back to the thing
that we were talking about, like taking these small sample sizes,
but with Ricky Piersaw, I feel like that's really fair
because dude was shot before the start of the season
last year and then he returned and at the end
of the year was one of the most productive players.
(38:25):
And when you look at the receiver room Marcus for
the forty nine ers, it's Ricky Piersoll and who Sky Moore?
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Yeah, Mark Markus Valdez scantling Like that's it, that's nvs. Yeah.
The Niners drafted him with a definite plan to make
him a big part of the passing game. They knew
that they had to make a decision between either Brandon
a youth or Devo Samuel. Obviously it was Debo that's
no longer there, but Ricky Piersaw. I think it's poised
to do some big things this year. Speaking of Ricky Piersoll,
(38:52):
that gets us some moments we love presented by Barefoot
wind In. A moment we love was him scoring his
first NFL touch down late in the season, after as
Rank mentioned, right stuff for a gunshot wound before the
season in an attempted robbery. So it was great to
see him get back out on the field. I'm great
to see him finally get in the end zone in
both the Niners and fantasy managers. Hope there's plenty of
(39:15):
more of that to come this year. Well, they seem
to be loving life in Green Bay. You see that
there from the socials there Michael Parsons no matter what,
after the Packers traded for him from the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
But there's a.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
Theme going on because on our show recently, or on
Michael Lef, Florio held him aside that said, Trevion Henderson
no matter what. But it seems like k fab nowadays
roight a little bit. Yeah, you know what.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
In his defense, there is no player with that name.
This player does not exist. Nobody has this name in
the NFL. Okay, that's a differ. I don't know who
this person is, but he's not He's not the running
back for the New England page.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
So I guess on a technicality, uh sort of skate there.
Florio gets away with it.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
I dropped the first sign walking to the studio and
stepped on it and had to quickly remake it in
like three seconds, and I forgot the why.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
I want to know why you didn't draft him. That's
the big you made an agreement on. This is what hurts.
You made an agreement that you would do it. I
know that like this, we're not playing for money, we're
not playing for anything. You made an agreement and you
didn't do it, and it hurt my feelings.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
We plan for pride and we want to win, and like, yeah,
like the board doesn't always fall in your way, you know,
like I.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Just did, it fell your way. It's not like he
went tenth overall. That's the board not going to your way. Listen.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
I just want people to know when I come on
this show and I say I'm gonna do something.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
Years ago I popped off.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
And said I'll take Stephen Goskowski in the fifth round
of a league. I did it, but I.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Live up to my We're back with you on my bay.
Enjoy your drafts, enjoy the holiday week. And every body's
still bring up the Gost costume. It's crazy.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
M
Help me Friday. Everybody, welcome to another edition of NFL
Fantasy Live Buy and Marcus Grant. That is Adam Rank.
They're in that box on your screen is Michael F.
Florio and uh Floria. I don't know if you called
yesterday's show, but but we have to have a discussion
about your your Fantasy Live Draft.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Why it's so good?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
You know what you did? You know what you did?
You know what you did? You know you did. We'll
get to it later on in the show, of course.
It's also it's College College Colors Day. I don't know,
I don't know if there's an official name, but we're
all sporting gear from our Queen's.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
College, a real thing. I thought it was something from
I thought The Square. Yeah, I thought that's a real thing.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
It's most famous for Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza going there,
Harry Spooner and the King.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Of Queen's gills there. But it is an actual school.
I attended there. I'm a knight go Nights for D two.
Very small school.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I really thought I really loved Vincent Chase.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I really it was something from Age or from Seinfeld,
because Costanz is not a real person.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I don't know if you're real as Mike, because Stans
is not a real person.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Jerry actually did go there though in real life.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
All right, all right, there is good speaking of real people.
Michael Purse Parsons is a real person and he is
really playing for the Green Bay Packers missing Parsons. That's
a fantasy team name. Sorry, Oh I like that. I
like that a lot. I was traded from the Dallas
Cowboys with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. And look,
I know we don't talk about idp's, we don't talk
about individual defensive players or anything like that, but right
(01:27):
this feels like a move that is going to have
real fantasy ramification. Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, it's one of the first things I thought of,
also after the thinking about Luca. At any event, the
thing of it is, this is a really huge benefit
for those of us in the fantasy community, especially for
those of us who have been taking chairs of CD
Lamb and Dak Prescott. Now over the last number of
shows I've been talking about my favorite stack of the
(01:51):
coming season was Cede Lamb and Dak Prescott because it's
the most attainable, very difficult to get Jamar Chase and
Joe Burrow, but Ceedee Lamb was available early in drafts,
Dak Prescott was available later on. And now when you
look at this situation in Dallas, we've seen the numbers.
The Cowboys defense is much worse without Micah Parsons, which
(02:13):
could mean the Cowboys will be in many more shootouts
this season.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
And with Ceedee Lamb.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I don't know if you want to just do the
straight comparisons like this is Jamar Chase and George Pickens
is T Higgins and so forth, and so on and
so forth. The thing of it is, while I might
not project Ceedee Lamb to go out there and have
four hundred points this season, I think it's still on
the table, off the tap. I think there's a real possibility.
And right now, if I'm sitting there with a number
(02:40):
two overall pick, I'm still going to go with Jamar Chase.
But if I have the number two overall pick, where
I've been going with guys like Jean Robinson and Justin
Jefferson this season, I might start pivoting to Ceedee Lamb
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, I don't think you're crazy at all.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I've had Ceedee Lamb as my number two wide receiver
all summer because I think the move to the slot
will help him a lot, and with Pickens being able
to play the X, we could see him go back
to the slot, maybe even more than he did two
years ago when he finished as the wide receiver one
and put up video game numbers.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
But I'm kicking myself a little bit. I would I
have a lot of CD.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
I wish I had more George Pickens because obviously they're gonna.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Have to air the ball out a bunch and everything.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
He is great, but I had been thinking he might
not put up like the T. Higgins Deavonta Smith kind
of number two numbers. But now I think that is
very much so on the table for him, and he's
someone that I'm gonna be bumping up this weekend and
probably targeting in some of my drafts.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
I was glad to get Ceedee Lamb at five in
our Fantasy Live draft. I feel even better about it
after what's happened in the last few But.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Jean was on the show and was so charming. I
couldn't help understand. We had a little all you know,
cal State Fullerton, Texas rivalry because baseball basically two thousand
and four baseball. Aggi garrita, Augi Gurrito. It's the Yuga
Garrito series for sure, Voyo's finest. We were talking about
wide receivers, as they were telling me in my ear
we should probab move on. So far this week we've
(04:02):
been running down the top sixteen players by a VP
at various positions. We've done quarterback, we've done running backs,
so fitting that we do wide receivers now. So we'll start,
of course, as we always do, at number one. We'll
put a minute on the clock, and we'll talk these
guys up right now. Jamar Chase is the wide receiver
one on NFL dot Com. I know we've talked up
(04:23):
CD LAMB quite a bit, but uh ranking it's still
eight in ten of my seconds. Oh sorry sitting there
setting this up. This is supposed to talking about, Oh Jays.
This isn't supposed to be you setting it up in
a long winded way. And when when I'm supposed to
be talking about Joe much, he's still my number one guy.
Hit me up tomorrow afternoon when I'm drafting my league
of record and see if I fit. Oh, I don't
(04:44):
have the number one pick. Thanks guys.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Yeah, I've had the number one pick a couple of times.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It's unquestionably like do I have to explain it?
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Triple Crown winner, fourth most Fantasy points ever, buy a
wide receiver, and the difference between if you're splitting hairs
between like him and CD Lamb. Now, I I just
think Joe Burrow is a little bit better than Dak Prescott.
I think a lot of people would agree with that.
Joe Burrow's elite. They have that elite chemistry. So yeah,
to me, it's a no brainer. At the first overall
pick Jamar Chase.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
You want to fail these three seconds, you know, I
want to use a second to say that the thing that.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Makes I almost had it. Oh well, but.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I was gonna say Doug. But Dak Prescott is probably
going to fall down draft boards.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Still.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
That's the one thing that That's what I was saying earlier.
It's like it's a little bit more attainable because people
will fire in on Joe Burrow. So if you want
to have that stack of Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase,
you probably have to take Joe Burrow in the second
or third round.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Yeah, that's probably the case. Number two wide receiver. It
is the aforementioned cee, thee Lamb. I guess we could
put a minute on the clock here, it says I'm starting.
I can just do a long, bigger gamble about takes
the whole thing. I'll just take the whole sixty seconds.
I ever, look, I don't have a problem here with
him at number two. I think you can make a
strong case now, as we talked earlier at the top
of the show about him being the wide receiver one overall,
(05:56):
that the Cowboys and Bengals may sort of mirror each
other in being two teams that might have to score
forty points a week in order to be competitive and
get wins because their defense is going to give up
a lot of points. This is lam who's been a
target monster average one hundred and forty four targets per
season in his career. He's going to continue to be great.
But yeah, I mean, if you take him at number one,
(06:17):
I don't know that you have a strong argument against you.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah, no, no, no roadblocks for me.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I would fully endorse it.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
But but like you were talking about, you got him
at what number five? You I'm sitting at number eight.
In my lega record. It was Patrick and Michael who
drafted my draft order, so.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Thanks for the I was hopeful.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
That Ceedee Lamb possibly, There's no chance, not now, not anymore.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
So we got the first two receivers off the board.
That gets us to number three, who is justin Jefferson
and Florida. I mean, you can't really argue with JJ
at three, can you? No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
I mean these are my rankings, so I can't really
argue them at all. But look, Jefferson is shown to
be quarterback.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
He's very durable.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Only one year has he not played the full season
Top ten and fantasy points per game every year, top
five every year.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
But his rookie year.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
The only thing and the reason I had Ceedee Lamb
ahead of him even before the Micah Parsons trade is
just I trust Dak Prescott a whole.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Like I'm not saying JJ.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
McCarthy can't break out, but we know what Dak is already,
we're projecting what JJ could be.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
So that was the difference maker for me.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
So I will follow that up slash counter that by saying.
In twenty twenty three, Nick Mullins played parts or all
of the final five games of the season. In that stretch,
Justin Jefferson was fourth and wide receiver scoring, he was
fifth in points per game. Then obviously last year, sam
Donold comes in, has a career year, and Jefferson continues
to eat. At this point, I'm done, even slightly doubting
(07:47):
Justin Jefferson. I think Kevin O'Connell's gonna get this offense going.
He's gonna put j McCarthy in a position. So I'm
bubble with JJ.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
At three, the buzzers it just sounds so harsh. Hey,
I think Kevin O'Connell's gonna do it.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
That buzzer him mean, at least the Oscars played quiet
violin you Hey, yeah, play us off. Number four is
Malik Neighbors. I know that's a guy that Florio has
loved last year and this year. How do you feel
like about him?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
You know, it's interesting because I've been going back and
forth between him and Brian Thomas Junior as my wide
receiver for and I really do believe that you can
make a case for either guys. But as I always
like to say, when you're on the clock, you don't
get the luxury of being like one of them's fine.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You gotta make a decision. I'm gonna go with my
Leak Neighbors right now.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I really do believe that this is a breakout season
for him, and he's.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
One of those guys too.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
That the best part about this is while we're waiting
for Jackson Dart to take over, he's got a pretty
capable of quarterback and Russell Wilson, so I think he's
gonna be just fine.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, that's the whole huge quarterback upgrades across the board.
I don't think people realize the Lak Neighbors average more
Fantasy points per game as a rookie than Jamar Chase
and Justin Jefferson, and look at the quarterback room he
did it with. I think he is as talented as
those guys in Ceedee Lamb. I think he enters that
it'll be a big four by year's end and Melak
(09:02):
Neighbors it might sound spicy.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Now, he is my pick to be offensive player of
the Year and to leave the league in receiving yards.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I think if touchdown variants goes his way, he will
be your wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Whatever the Giants I got buzzed, he got buzzed. Whatever
the Giants throw it in not my league, neighbors. I
wonder why they didn't throw it to What you do
before the show is your own business. I get to
sue number five on our list, which is A J. Brown,
and I think people are starting to sort of wake
up because it felt for a long time this offseason
(09:33):
as though AJ Brown was sort of being undervalued. I mean,
you can find him in the middle sometimes late second round.
This is one of the most efficient receivers we have
in this league and had his highest catch rate of
his career last season. His seventeen game pace, had he
not been injured at times, would have put him over
fourteen hundred yards for the third straight year. You know, look,
(09:53):
he's got a longer track record of success than Brian
Thomas junior. He's got a more certain quarterback situation than
Drake London. I just think we need to pull him
up the draft the EIGHTYP spots a little bit.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I believe that the ADP is indicative or reflective of
last season where he started off like a house of
fire and then be at injuries or whatever. He falls
a little bit. He wasn't the same receiver at the
end of the season that he was at the first,
and that kind of stuff sticks with fantasy enthusiasts. They
remember things like that, So I believe that's what's hurting it.
But it really shouldn't because as you said, he's a
(10:25):
prolific wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Got it in. We got it in under the buzzer.
So I gets us to number six. Who is Puka
Nakua and Florio? How we feeling about pok at six?
I love him.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
I originally was ready to put him in the top
like two or three. Then they signed DeVante Adams and
I had him at five, and then the old I
love AJ.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Brown as you guys saw there.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
So the only reason I flipped him in AJ Brown
and put Puka at six is because of Stafford's back injury,
and that worries me a bit because if he goes down,
I think Puka will still be very productive, but I'm
not sure he'll be in top five wide receiver. But
he was wide receiver three last year in points per
game and led to all receivers and fantasy points per
route ran.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Like he's an awesome talent. Go get him in the
first or second round.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
In Pukah's first two seasons, when he's been healthy and
on the field, he has had a more than twenty
five percent share of the targets in the offense. So
regardless of who the quarterback is, whether it's Matthew Stafford
or if the doctor says he needs to back the
out of me and we get Jimmy g I do
think he's gonna get plenty of opportunities. So I'm fine
with him somewhere in that kind of six to nine range.
(11:30):
If you want to sort of squabble and quibble and
kind of move some guys around, you know, I'm willing
to hear you out. But I still think Pukah's very
much a wide receiver. All right, So we are on
to number seven, where it is the sun God usc finest.
I'm on Ross Saint Brown, and all right, how are
we about ours Booth.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
He's a great player, and I think he's a tremendous person.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
But listen to you.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I don't understand how people are so dismissive of what
happened the upheaval in Detroit, losing the entirety, like almost
the entirety of the offensive staff, still having Jared Goff.
There's a lot of things to me that when you
look at a Monro Saint Brown raise red flag. So
while I like Jamior Gibbs and David Montgomery and I
feel like that's gonna be fine, there's also been turnover
(12:15):
in the offensive line.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I'm sort of out on a on a Sun God.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Yeah, I don't find myself drafting him a bunch because
I'll take like AJ Brown over him, which is something
that is almost routinely available. But I do while I
question if a Monra can do what he's done the
last couple of years, I still do think he's really
rock solid, like he's going to give you a very
state floor. He's still going to be the top target
on a Lion's offense that.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
I believe will be very good.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
James and Williams might step up and take some. But
if you want like a set it and forget it
state floor, it's a Monra.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
I got it in before the buzzer was off, the
ball was off the.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Fingers actually, var.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
I do want to point out too that this is
based on ADP. This is not like don't don't be
the dj marn't stop it like based on ADP, which
that's why I'm not taking a mon Ron say bro
nothing against him as a player, He's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I would enjoy him being on my favorite This is
not about the Lions Bears thing or not at all.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Okay, listen, I do you not hear me talking about
David Montgomery.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
They're talking about now that he's my family. They're telling
me that I got to talk about Nico Collins right now.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I have to talk a lot about the Houston Texans
wide receiver room because it's kind of Nico Collins and
sort of everybody else right now, Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins
kind of battling for that number two target. But Collins
over the last two years is average near the eight
targets per game. He's also had incredible touchdown upside fifteen
total tds in his last two seasons. So I don't
(13:42):
know what's going to happen behind him in terms of
the pecking order, but Nico's gonna be just fun, you know.
It's so interesting.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
This is an instance where I would rather have Nico
Collins over a Monro Saint Brown.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
That would be. That's where my head is at. And
I've been talking.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
About Nico a lot this offseason and people will come
back and be like, well, he gets hurt or whatever.
I'm like, you know what, everybody in the NFL getshurted.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
That's you.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
You cannot live your life that way. Like every you
can make a case against anybody. I think Nico Collins
is an exceptional player. And I know last season c J.
Stroud wasn't the fantasy person that we thought he would be.
He was, he wasn't, he was not He wasn't what
I think. I think this year he'll be fine. Apparently
(14:24):
hearely friends in family of CJ. Stretter on the buzzer here.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I know his uncle. Oh.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
I want to know how he ended up in Utah
or no, how he ended up Ohio State.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
He was supposed to go to Utah, but he showed
up at the Elite eleven. We got some questions that
we know you know the answers to, but it's cold
asking for a frind for a reason. Do you pass
on Garrett Wilson for Teto McMillan, I know you liked that.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Wow, I really I really like I really like Tech,
but I really do like the situation with the Jets.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I think their offensive line is better.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
I think uh Breist Hall and I think all those
pieces are going to be better because they have the
same offensive system that was being run in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
They've talked about this.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
If you like Amon Ra Saint Brown, you should like
Garrett Wilson.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
All Right, moving on to the next one, this one Florida.
You can take this one. I think I know where
you're gonna go, though, Caleb Williams or Justin Fields.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Justin Fields for everything that Ranks said, like, they're the
Jets because of their oc coming from Detroit. They're gonna
have a very outside heavy run scheme, which Justin Fields thrives.
And I expect a lot more short, quick layup passes.
So I think Justin Fields puts up career numbers as
a runner and as a passer this year and top
five fantasy quarterback for me.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Yeah, Tanner Angstrom is the offensive coordinator who could end
up being a hot name in the hiring cycle at
some point. I'm just now saying word salad because I'm
not getting I listen. I was in the Caleb Caleb
Justin Field wars on Chicago.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
I'm not getting back into that again. So you've gone
through the first round, You've made your first pick, You're
feeling pretty good about it, but The problem is Round
two is coming and now you have to make some
more decisions because the draft is more than one round long.
So we've got some guys in rounds two, three, and
four that we like targeting in all our respective drafts. So, Florio,
who is somebody that you might like? Actually, we'll start
(16:12):
with rank because that's what the rundown says, who do
you like? In round two?
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'm gonna go with Bucky Irving. And this was a
something that was interesting in my earlier drafts is I
kept trying to sneak Bucky Irving into the third round
and everybody's like, yeah, not so fast. We're not going
to allow that, which is surprising me because last year
the collective Internet was against me when I said to
pick up Bucky Irving.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
They're like, no, you're an idiot, like they usually do.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
It's like the kids on Reddit yesterday and which was hilarious.
But I really do like I think he has an
opportunity to be even better this season. So you are
not going to be able to sleep on Bucky Irving.
You're gonna have to get him in the second round,
which is where I'm picking him.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
I love Bucky, but My favorite is AJ Brown. We
were talking him up last segment. I have him ranked
as my fifth ranked wide receiver. I think he should
be a first round pick, yet you could get him
in the middle sometimes even the late second round. I
took him in the first round in our Fantasy Live draft.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
And the reason I'm so.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
High on him the Eagles last year were one of
the run heaviest offense in years, but he was still
on a full season pace for fourteen hundred yards and
nine touchdowns, which is an average AJ Brown season in Philadelphia,
so the targets could funnel through him.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
He is a top five talent.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
In this league, and I'm totally fine getting an injury
discount on him in round two because he should be
going in round one.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
I will gladly take Drake London where I can in
round two. And he's been a target hog pretty much
since he got to the league average one hundred and
twenty eight targets per season so far in his career,
but last year it turned into production one hundred catches,
almost thirteen hundred yards, nine touchdowns. I'm not gonna sit
here and say, well, quarterback play is gonna be better
(17:53):
in Atlantic because We've done that the last few years
and it hasn't quite worked out. I don't need Michael
PINNICKX to be great. I just need him to be
a step up from what they've had in that I
think takes Drake London to an even higher level this year.
All right, So that moves us on to round three
of our drafts. Rak, where do you like to go
in this round?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
You know what, I've been finding more and more that
I just cannot pass up Trey McBride in the third round,
especially based on the way that the rosters are being constructed.
If I've got an elite running back and e league
wide receiver that I feel really good pivoting to Trey McBride.
Last season was the tight end too close to two
hundred and fifty Fantasy points, and he was doing it
without the benefit of a lot of touchdowns. Now we
(18:31):
expect the progression to get him closer to five to six,
maybe even double digit touchdowns this season. When that happens,
we have an opportunity to have one of those seasons
like Travis Kelsey had in the past.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Where he was flirting with three seventy.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
So for me, I think that Trey McBride in the
third round is going to be an epic value.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I do love that as well.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Ranked but when we get this late into draft seasons,
so close to the season, you've got to be willing
to pull.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Your guys up a bit.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
And that's what I'm willing to do Withry McLaurin, who
typically goes in the fourth round, but I'm okay taking
him in round three because last season he had a
career high in fantasy points and fantasy points per game.
And I know everyone thinks touchdown regression is going to hit,
but the Commanders are likely to throw the ball a
lot more. And if you're giving Terry McLaurin, who second
in the NFL in points per target.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Even more volume, I think he's gonna be great.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
So he's got a top quarterback, he's got a good
offense around him. I love Sterry Terry, and I'm willing
to pull him up the board a little bit to
get him.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I'm gonna need our friend and research with Lakwan Jones
to put on his ear muffs because I like Kyen
Williams in round three. Lakwan's like the only Rams fan
that wants to just punt Kyron and put in like
Blake Forum or Jarquiz Hunter. Look, he had an eighty
one percent snapshare last year that was tops among running backs.
And Sean McVay has shown us repeatedly that he is
(19:49):
pretty much a one running back guy. In six of
his eight seasons as head coach, he's had at least
one back get two hundred cherries plus huge touchdown upside
For kyroen Will, He's had twenty six rushing tds in
his last two seasons, fifty two goal to go carries
in the last two seasons. I think he's a huge
value in the third round. So we get onto round
(20:11):
four and speaking of running back values, you got one there,
I'm gonna I'm gonna go with Breesce Hall. Again.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
This is one of the fun things about doing the
early drafts, is I I over or I under estimated
how many people loved Bucky Irving, and I overestimated the people.
I thought that the same adoration would be there for
Breese Hall. But no, everybody's out on the Jets for
historical reasons. Yet's historical reasons, which is fine. But again,
(20:37):
like if you're excited about what Ben Johnson is doing
in Chicago. You should be equally as encouraged by what's
gonna go on with the New York Jets this season.
I really do believe that Breese Hall is gonna benefit there.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
I like Breese, even though he is falling a bit.
The exact opposite is for my guy who I've spoke
up more than anyone this summer, and that is Treveon Henderson.
I'm willing to take him as early as the two
three turn, but ADP has him in the fourth round,
so you can wait a little bit.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
He is very.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Like I would take him at the two three turn.
I already have I would have taken at the one
two turn, but the two.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Three agree to do the other day.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Well, yeah, but Chase Brown was on the board, and
I have Chase Brown ranked high, but Travion on almost
every other team.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
I love Traon and I've been here all summer.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
We will definitely litigate this later on in the show.
This is not this is not the last time we're
gonna speak on this. I am certain who am I
talking about. Oh, I'm talking about James Connor. I got
so derailed by this other conversation. I've perpetually been a
James Connor guy, and I feel like he's sort of
falling into that area that was reserved for well, I
guess for Drank still a guy like David Montgomery, right,
(21:46):
that guy who's just kind of undervalued, underappreciated. When you
when you draft James Connor, everybody leads and be like,
all right, that's a pretty good pick. But nobody's also like,
oh I missed out on James Connor, Like there seems
to be some some sort of disconnect there. But I
will take him there all day and get that RB
one type production from him. Those are our two, three
and four round draft picks. We are going back to
(22:08):
wide receivers nine through sixteen coming up figure out where
we want some of these guys to slot as we
come back from the break. So we went through wide
receivers one through eight earlier in the show. We're going
to keep it going with nine through sixteen, and at
number nine it is Drake London. Rake, I said, I
don't mind taking him in the second round. Is wide
(22:31):
receiver nine a good spot for him? Now?
Speaker 3 (22:32):
It's a great spot. I think that would be a
pretty good value. One of the things that we'd love
to do is fantasy enthusiasts is take the smallest of
sample sizes and use it as justification for.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Why we want to do things.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
In last year, when Drake London was playing with Michael Pennix,
despite it being just three games, You're like, that's enough
for me. This is going to be an excellent opportunity.
But I do believe that the Falcons, especially here with
their defense being one it is, there'll be a lot
of opportunities for Jake London this season.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Yeah, I agree, And on that small sample size, twenty
three fantasy points per game with Michael Pennick junior and
targeted on forty one percent of his routes, Like, we
know he's gonna lock in, he's gonna air the ball out.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
We saw that in college.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
The reason I have him at nine too and not
a little bit higher is because we don't know if
Michael Pennick Junior is going to be like really good
in the NFL or what.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
But we know like Nico Collins, qb is and and the.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
Other guys that I have ahead of him. But I
do like Drake.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
London a lot, and I have him inside.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
My time, So we're in agreement on Drake London. Since
we're speaking of small sample size theater, Brian Thomas Junior
is at number ten rank. You might not like me
for this. I have concerns, Oh jeez, well, because last
year when he really started to take off, it was
also at a point where Christian Kirk and Evan Ingram
went on injured reserve. I mean, you have that little
(23:52):
quirk of fate that somehow he was more productive with
Mac Jones than Trevor Lawrence. I don't really know what
to make of that part, but I just sort of
worry about what it's gonna be like when he's got
more target competition this year. And I think the Travis
Hunter factor can't be undersold. I think he's gonna get
a lot of opportunities. So I think ten actually is
about right. Ten or eleven. I think it's okay. I
just felt like earlier people were way higher on DTJ.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
You know, you put out this shiny object like Travis Hunter,
and then everybody is going to overreact.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
And that's fine.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
And again, these are the lessons you should be taking
from these pre draft proceedings, is that people will downgrade
Brian Thomas Junior, So use it to your advantage. Take
Nico Collins, or take Nico Collins or Malik Neighbors first,
because Brian Thomas Junior.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Might fall to you.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
But if you feel that guys like t Higgins and
George Pickens and even Adam Feelin going to Minnesota benefit
the alpha dogs in that offense, you should also feel
the Travis Hunter is going to make Brian Thomas Junior
even better.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
But what if Travis Hunter's the alpha going down that
that moving on to number A. You know, in the
NFL Fantasy Football podcast the other day, Florio Lawan Jones
had a hot take and his hot take was just
Lad McConkie.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Yeah, we have been fighting wars on that show all
summer over Ladi McConkie, And I'm fully a ladd stand.
I loved him as a prospect and as a rookie,
and he tied for twelve in total points as a
rookie despite a slow start with Herbert being banged up,
nineteen fantasy points per game from week eleven on, and
he was fifth in fantasy points per target. I think
he is an elite talent. The world just doesn't know
(25:29):
it yet, but come seasons end, everyone will know it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And he will be a universal wide receiver one.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
You know who does know he's an elite talent, Lebron James.
He got the Lebron James Seal of Approval on social
media the other day. For what it's worth as a
wide receiver to keep an eye out on. Lebron thinks
he's gonna have a huge year. I agree. Yeah, the
wide receiver room is definitely deeper this year. They added
or they regained Keenan Allen, They drafted Trey Harris. I
(25:54):
know KeAndre Lambert Smith's the guy that people sort of
love straight, but Lad mcconki's kind of the movable p
He can move anywhere. They can play matchups with him.
I think he continues to be a target monster in
this Charger offense. We move on to number twelve, Scary Terry,
who finally made up with the Commanders got paid so
rake how we feeling about him? No, really positive about
(26:15):
Terry McLaurin.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
And the timing of the deal is perfect too, because
a lot of times he didn't want that to extend
closer to the season into the season either. But the
good thing is is now he's had two weeks to
go out there and work out and rejoin his team
be ready to go. A lot of times when you
have a holdout, you're worried about those soft, soft tissue injuries.
(26:37):
That shouldn't be a problem with Terry McLaurin now that
he's been able to practice for a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah, I think the big difference that Flooryo kind of
touched on this earlier with Terry McLaurin last year versus
every other year of his career, the touchdowns were a
lot more, a lot more plentiful last season thirteen in
twenty twenty four, he had twenty five combined in his
first five years in the NFL. I still think that
touchdown upside is there. Maybe comes down a little bit
with Deebo Samuel there, maybe the Commanders do some more
(27:04):
things around the goal line with Debo, But still Terry
McLaurin as a low end wide receiver one feels pretty good.
That gets us to wide receiver thirteen and Michael f
Florio deaf taxes and Mike Evans getting a thousand yards, right.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Yeah, And consistency matters in fantasy football, right, And Mike
Evans isn't just consistent season to season he's consistent week
to week. Yeah, he might have a down game here there,
but he's gonna get you a thousand yards.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
He is a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
Machine and last season top four wide receiver in Fantasy
points per route and target. And look, someone's got to
catch the ball, right God wins out. McMillan's out out
and is banged up. So there's two guys left and
Evans is the alpha there. I like him both, but
I really like Mike Evans as a wide receiver too.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
But what if Amika Buka is the alpha dog?
Speaker 3 (27:52):
If it comes in, is that he's the Sholle Hao
Tani somehow football for whatever reason. The one thing that
really stands out to me about Mike Evans is something
that goes back to his days in college station, is
that he is just an incredible red zone and end
zone target. He had eighteen end zone targets in twenty
(28:12):
twenty four that was tied for the second most in
the NFL, and I don't anticipate that number falling.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Travis Foner is to Shador Sanders with Mike Evans is
to Johnny Manziel. Just putting that out there. Wide receiver fourteen.
DJ Moore somehow we're gonna talk about DJ Moore and
Adam Rank hasn't been invited to join. I'm excited. I'm
excited about the Bears offense, and I know there were
times during the preseason that it looks sort of rough.
I get it, there are growing there was one play
(28:39):
that was bad. I mean, look, Ben Johnson was not
happy with everything. I get it, But have you seen
Ben Johnson. I'm still optimistic about this group. You know,
I love every part about it. What I'm really curious
about you all these reports that they're moving DJ Moore around,
even lining him up in the backfield occasionally. I just
want to see how this turns out. But I do
like the fact that they're going to try and use
these pieces to the best of their ability.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
And that exact point, Marcus is being spun as a
bad thing on like Fantasy Twitter and stuff, and I
don't get it. We've all seen Ben Johnson be really
creative with his offensive weapons, and the more touches he
could create for DJ Moore, the better in my opinion.
And we know more as a top talent in this league.
He was a top ten Fantasy wide receiver just two
years ago, so with Johnson and the Bears improved line
(29:22):
and using DJ Moore creative as possible. I think he
could get back to that hype this season.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
More number fourteen. We move on to number fifteen with
T Higgins, who rank I guess he's the George Pickens
of the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
Yeah, I know, if we're doing those lazy comps, which
I'm prown to do, I'm lazy. Fine, it's fair enough,
but I do believe that T. Higgins is gonna be
even better. And he does a lot of the He
does a lot of the dirty work for the Cincinnati Bengals.
And once again, the reason why we love a lot
of the Cincinnati Bengals players is obviously they're they're great players.
(29:56):
That defense did not get any better, they did not
improve it. They did not the offseason and say let's
go solve this. Nope, it's as bad as usual, which
means a lot of points for us, which is great.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Yeah, completely agree there. I will say I think I'm
a little lower on T.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
Higgins, and consensus is ADP is a little bit higher
than fifteen. And the only reason I did that is
because the other fourteen ahead of them are alpha wide
receiver ones in their offense, so I feel a little
bit more comfortable about the volume going their way. T Higgins,
we know he's great. The Bengals are gonna have to
throw a bunch. He's my first wide receiver two that
I rank, but a lot of touchdowns last year. Never
(30:33):
played seventeen games. That's why I have him fifteen.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Would be a wide receiver one on a whole lot
of teams. He just happens to line up opposite of
Jamar Chase. There I guess this number sixteen, Jackson Smith
and Jigba And I'll say this, for a good part
of the offseason, I was sort of worried, worried but
concern trying to figure out how this is gonna work
with Cooper Cup now in Seattle, Noy that Cup was
primarily going to be the slot guy, which is where
(30:58):
Jason made his hey life last year. But my fears
have been calmed because it seems like every report out
of Seattle is that no matter where he lines up,
he's finding ways to win. That he is a legit
threat in any slot, any position on the field along
the line of scrimmage. So feeling better about JS in
I think they're gonna find ways to get him the
ball a lot.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I'm not gonna lie. I was a little nervous the
way you started that. I thought I thought the besmirchmant
of Sam Donald was gonna arise, and I was not gonna.
I was not gonna sit here for it. He's not
gonna be smirched. Sam Donald wearing at us the time,
he's he's a triton. He's he's more Triton than Trojan for.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Me, but my than man. Now's he's more machine than man.
That's true.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
But I really, I again, I have a lot of expectations,
high expectations for the and a big reason why is
Clint Kubiak, because it's one of the things when they
talk about Sam Darnald like while he doesn't have koc
or like Clint Kubiak is good too.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Yeah, he'll he'll be fine. Yeah, h you know, we
can commiserate it about it on in San Clemente's.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
So that's such an iconic photo. You've throw that up
on the Twitter and people are like, I know exactly
where that is.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Ask some more of your social media questions, this one
for you rank should I roll out Hunter or cuff
as my flex. This feels like trolling, though, is it? Hunter?
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Henry, I'm gonna go with Travis Hunter. Oh well, I
would take Travis Hunter. I said nothing bad about Travis Hunter.
I feel like he's a good player, but he's gonna
be asked to play offense and defense. I think the
majority of the targets are still going to go to
Brian Thomas Junior, but I would start him over cut.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Okay, I'm moving on to the next one. This one
for you Florio for game one, Golden Matthew Golden or
Romo Dunzay.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Romo Duonsay.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
I'm gonna be talking him up next segment, but I
think that he's gonna be a big target for that
Bears offense since their primary ex guy who will also
play in the slot, and I like the.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Match up a lot. One last one, how high is
too high to draft Jalen Cocher. I know there's a
lot of excitement about Jalen Coker. I still don't know
that i'd make the move before like the ninth round.
I'm excited about Bryce Young. I think we see the
Panthers offense take a step forward, But you know, I
(33:11):
still would sort of tamp down expectations before we go
all in on the pammage. Time to do some heroes
and villains, the guys that in Week one can maybe
lead you to victory or have you looking your wounds
and possibly overreacting to the rest of the season. So Florio,
let's start on the good foot. Who is one of
(33:31):
your Week one heroes?
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I said I was gonna talk more about him. It's
throm with Jonsday. I liked that last season he was
the Bears top target in the end zone, and if
preseason is in the indication, I expect that to continue
again this year. And I love that Ben Johnson was
moving him around the field in preseason, putting him in the.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Slot a bit out wide.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I think with Johnson there and the Bears improved the line,
we're gonna see the real Roam and the real.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Caleb this year.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
And the Vikings hey second most fantasy points and yards
allowed to receivers last.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Season, so that could be a good matchup as well.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
So I'm going with a guy who can be a
Week one hero. I also think he has the ability
to stretch out over the course of the season and
be a fantasy hero and that's Zach Sharbona, who very
I wanna say quietly because if you're reading the reports
out of Seattle, then the drums are banging loudly that
Zach Sharbona is going to push Kenneth Walker for that
RB one gig there. Walker's been banged up during the preseason.
(34:24):
He's had injury troubles throughout his career, so I can
see Zach Scharbona getting a lot of opportunity catching the
ball out of the backfield and maybe even getting some
gold line work as well. Of the Niner defense trying
to improve from last year. But no guarantees that Robert
Salagets had turned around right away in week one. So
those are our heroes, but forever up there is a down.
You can't have dark without light and light without dark.
(34:46):
So who is your fantasy villain for Week one?
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Jared Goff and I have him on a number of teams.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Myself, I will be sitting him in Week one because Goff,
in his last four games in lambeau Field, has averaged
two hundred and six passing yards per game with just
four touchdown and two interceptions. It is his first game
with the new offensive coordinator, so we might see a
little bit of growing pains there. Packers already had a
tough defense, they allowed the six views fantasy points per
(35:11):
game to quarterbacks, and they just got some guy you
might have heard of, Micah.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Parsons, who's now going to be chasing down Jared Goff.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
I want to avoid this situation if I can, so,
I would sit golf.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
If you have another option that you feel.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Comfortable with, well, I'm gonna go to the other side
of that game and tell you that the Packers wide
receivers do not want. If you can sit here and
tell me who is going to be the target leader,
I'm going to call you a liar to your face
because you're not going to know that. Matt Lafleur last
year famously said that it makes him nauseous even trying
to talk about the idea of the Packers having a
number one wide receiver. Sure, Christian Watson is out, but
(35:45):
Matthew Golden is in. He's still got plenty of guys
to throw the football too, and because of the defense,
could be a run heavy game script late in that one.
So maybe it's more about Josh Jacobs than any of
the pass catchers there In the Green and coming up,
we're gonna talk about round five through seven of your draft. Hey,
(36:06):
there's that gut that Travis Hunter guy again. Where do
we slot him stick around? We have the answer when
we return looking at some guys who are going in
round five through seven. Some notable names, a lot of Chiefs,
(36:27):
a lot of Lions. Here one name not on your screen.
It is going in this range as well, Rashi Rice,
who we know is going to miss the first six
games of the season because of a suspension. But let's
go through with some guys that we like in round
five through seven. I will take round five, and that
is a place that I have consistently been drafting. There Swift,
I mentioned earlier in this show. But I'm excited. I'm
(36:49):
optimistic about this Bears offense. And I look at last year.
I know Ben Johnson wasn't there, but still we saw
dere Swift what he can do when he gets heavily utilized.
Career high thirteen one hundred and forty five scrimmage yards.
He's had thirty nine or more receptions every year of
his career, and like you know, we keep doing the
lazy comparisons, right, So he's the Junior. I feel like
(37:09):
that shot at me. But yes, no, look I've done it.
I've done it. He plays for Premier Gibbs.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
There it is in this game right here against the Commanders.
Obviously it was lost in everything that happened at the
end of that game, but DeAndre Swift pretty much put
the Bears ahead because of that.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
Sorry, no, right, yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
I love DeAndre Swift and Marcus. I know one that
you love in round six, Travis Hunter. I fully expect
Travis Hunter to be a full time offensive player. Why
because the Jackson said so, since they drafted him and
then used him as such in the preseason. And I
think he is an elite talent at the wide receiver position.
And when Courtland Sutton or Sauce Gardner, where the other
(37:46):
top corners are lining up opposite of BTJ, Travis Hunter
is gonna have number two corners and slot corners and
he is going to eat them up. He is my
offensive and defensive rookie of the year. And I said
it on the podcast. I think this time next year
he's a top two round pick.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Very nice. They're nice. So then round seven that's false
to use you know.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
I'll let you jump in on this one too, because
I know you're a huge fan of Ricky Piersoll from
a fantasy perspective, and again going back to the thing
that we were talking about, like taking these small sample sizes,
but with Ricky Piersaw, I feel like that's really fair
because dude was shot before the start of the season
last year and then he returned and at the end
of the year was one of the most productive players.
(38:25):
And when you look at the receiver room Marcus for
the forty nine ers, it's Ricky Piersoll and who Sky Moore?
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Yeah, Mark Markus Valdez scantling Like that's it, that's nvs. Yeah.
The Niners drafted him with a definite plan to make
him a big part of the passing game. They knew
that they had to make a decision between either Brandon
a youth or Devo Samuel. Obviously it was Debo that's
no longer there, but Ricky Piersaw. I think it's poised
to do some big things this year. Speaking of Ricky Piersoll,
(38:52):
that gets us some moments we love presented by Barefoot
wind In. A moment we love was him scoring his
first NFL touch down late in the season, after as
Rank mentioned, right stuff for a gunshot wound before the
season in an attempted robbery. So it was great to
see him get back out on the field. I'm great
to see him finally get in the end zone in
both the Niners and fantasy managers. Hope there's plenty of
(39:15):
more of that to come this year. Well, they seem
to be loving life in Green Bay. You see that
there from the socials there Michael Parsons no matter what,
after the Packers traded for him from the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
But there's a.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
Theme going on because on our show recently, or on
Michael Lef, Florio held him aside that said, Trevion Henderson
no matter what. But it seems like k fab nowadays
roight a little bit. Yeah, you know what.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
In his defense, there is no player with that name.
This player does not exist. Nobody has this name in
the NFL. Okay, that's a differ. I don't know who
this person is, but he's not He's not the running
back for the New England page.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
So I guess on a technicality, uh sort of skate there.
Florio gets away with it.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
I dropped the first sign walking to the studio and
stepped on it and had to quickly remake it in
like three seconds, and I forgot the why.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
I want to know why you didn't draft him. That's
the big you made an agreement on. This is what hurts.
You made an agreement that you would do it. I
know that like this, we're not playing for money, we're
not playing for anything. You made an agreement and you
didn't do it, and it hurt my feelings.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
We plan for pride and we want to win, and like, yeah,
like the board doesn't always fall in your way, you know,
like I.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Just did, it fell your way. It's not like he
went tenth overall. That's the board not going to your way. Listen.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
I just want people to know when I come on
this show and I say I'm gonna do something.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
Years ago I popped off.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
And said I'll take Stephen Goskowski in the fifth round
of a league. I did it, but I.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Live up to my We're back with you on my bay.
Enjoy your drafts, enjoy the holiday week. And every body's
still bring up the Gost costume. It's crazy.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
M
Hosts And Creators
Marcas Grant
Adam Rank
Michael F. Florio
Kimmi Chex
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com